Traveling to Washington D.C.

Topher and I went on a trip to Washington D.C., and we just had to share with you all! First of all, can you believe it was my first time there? I know! You would think by the time I was 40 years old I would have gotten around to our nation’s capital at least once!

Before we get started, let me apologize in advance for the fact that we didn’t bring our “fancy” camera on this trip, so the pictures aren’t up to par … but they were as good as we could do with our iPhones.

Once we arrived in town, we checked into the Ritz Carlton. Staying at the Ritz was another first for us. How fancy do we sound saying we stayed at the Ritz? Before you start to hate us … just know this was paid for by Topher’s business, and it isn’t a normal thing for us.

As you can imagine, this place was gorgeous! From the swanky rooms, to the to-die-for crystal chandeliers, this place was the bomb! The customer service, from the front desk, to their room service, it was bar none.

Topher was actually in DC for a work function, so we did all of our sightseeing in one day (in case you’re wondering why we never change our clothes). We took a bus tour to all of the sites, and we highly recommend doing this as you don’t have to worry about finding your way around, finding a place to park, and the bus stops were definitely long enough to see all that we needed to see.

The first stop we made was at Raising the Flag Iwo-Jima.

Next was the Jefferson Monument

Our next stop was to the US capital.

The we worked our way around to the White House.

Our last stop on the tour was the WWII Monument. This one was really beautiful. Since we arrived late, we were able to see it all lit up, and with the gorgeous fountains it was stunning.

We were also able to take in the FDR Memorial, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, and the Korean War Memorial, but rain set in or it was too dark to really capture with our phones … so we’ll have to get those photos on our next trip.

On our last night in DC we stopped by the W Hotel to have a cocktail at their rooftop bar. It was hard to get get pics in here because of the lighting, but the vibe here was ultra cool!

I have to admit that in school, I certainly wasn’t a big history buff, and I may have not given my classes my full attention. On our stop to DC, though, I learned so much about our country that I didn’t know before, and I am glad that I know them now.

I don’t think you can fully appreciate how amazing these monuments are from the photos. The war monuments (particular the Vietnam wall) was unlike anything I’ve seen before. And even in the rain, veterans and family members were staring at the 58,000 names … and crying.

It’s absolutely worth the time. We can’t wait to go back and take-in so many of the other sights we didn’t get a chance to visit.

Washington DC is probably the US city that’s top of my visit list (now I’ve been to San Francisco). There are some amazing museums on my list – including a few quirky ones – and so much history. I’m impressed at how much you fitted into one day. #citytripping

I really want to go to Washington – especially after reading your post. Very impressed at how much ground you covered in one day! Well done. I think until you see a place it is sometimes difficult to grasp the historical significance (especially from dull story lessons in a class room) that’s one of the things I adore about travelling. SO much to learn. Thank you for linking to #citytripping

I grew up about an hour south and took many school field trips there growing up. I’ve definitely learned (and been far more interested) during my handful of visits as an adult. I feel like every visit something new speaks to me. Hoping to take my kids on a future visit to see my family.